Sending space systems into orbit is technically challenging and unforgiving, where even the most minute miscalculation or anomaly can result in a failed launch or even the destruction of costly satellites. As such, factors such as performance characteristics and launch reliability are driving considerations for government and commercial users. However, these factors tend to adversely influence other important concerns such as launch schedule and cost. Thus, access to space continues to be a challenging endeavor. Nonetheless, as communications and sensor technologies continue to develop, the demand for affordable space access will grow.
For decades, NASA and the Department of Defense have funded numerous initiatives focusing primarily on reducing the cost of access to space. However, launch costs continue to be a challenge, which suggests that focusing solely on the development of lower-cost launch services on its own is not sufficient to meet the ever-increasing commercial and government demand for access to space.
Typically, satellite system owners purchase access to a launch vehicle in order to obtain access to space. The extraordinary costs associated with launch vehicles make it cost prohibitive for small companies and budget restricted government agencies to gain access to space. This unavoidable constraint means alternative solutions to meeting demand and lowering cost is required.
Launch providers also face significant scheduling challenges. The launch provider must integrate a variety of mass and volumes in a dynamic launch environment, as well as adapt the launch profile to accommodate a wide range of orbital altitudes. The launch provider's desired efficiency level must be considered as well. Ideally, launch providers endeavor to schedule each launch to maximize the payload capacity. However, each scheduled launch necessarily runs the risk of less than ideal utilization due to potential complications or changing variables. Launch providers are hesitant to schedule a launch unless there is a high probability that all available capacity will be utilized. This also causes problems for launch providers designing new launch vehicles.
Current scheduling approaches also adversely affect access to space for many users. For example, design, manufacture, and testing of all the spacecraft need to be aligned to execute on an established schedule. The time required to take a project from the design phase to an operational launch can take many years in order to comply with designing a spacecraft for current or anticipated launch vehicle parameters. Additional complications arise when confirming payloads to lock in the launch manifest. Sometimes the companies seeking access to space encounter budget uncertainties, program cancellations, changes in business plan/scope, internal uncertainties, or the funding gates do not align with schedule requirements.
Current systems and methods are directed at scheduling secondary or hosted payloads to launch with primary payloads on spacecraft. A hosted payload is defined as a payload on a spacecraft that performs functions not attributed to the primary mission of the satellite. Usually, primary payloads must launch their spacecraft at a precise time in order to meet an increased commercial demand in communications, or to replace a timeworn satellite. In these scenarios, the primary mission may not require full use of the satellite's payload capacity in terms of size, weight, or power, underutilizing the value of the satellite to the owner/operator.
Often times, smaller companies wishing to send hosted payloads into space are waiting for numerous variables associated with their payload to align with the variables associated with the primary payload and its associated spacecraft. These variables include: preferred orbit, average payload power required, payload size (volume), payload mass, required on-orbit date, preferred field of view, and mission design life.
In the past, matching across space projects was a complicated endeavor, wrought with any number of pitfalls, to include schedule, budget, and performance risk. When such project matches have been pursued in the past, substantial coordination is required in development and transfer of information very early in the projects with the hopes of minimizing or reducing such risks. However, such information is rarely consolidated and substantial time and effort is required to assess the feasibility of potential matches, which distracts project members from primary duties or does not fully uncover the complete set of opportunities, further dissuading project managers from identifying and pursuing such opportunities.
Therefore, there exists a need for a system and method of pairing commercial or government payloads and spacecraft with space missions with available capacity in either launch or on-orbit hosting. The present invention fulfills these needs and others.